Falling-out is a
culture-bound syndrome
In medicine and medical anthropology, a culture-bound syndrome, culture-specific syndrome, or folk illness is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or cu ...
reported in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
and the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
and usually brought on by stress.
Nervous Attack (Ataque de nervios) or fainting
A cultural concept of distress,
which is the DSM-5's updated version of
culture-bound syndrome
In medicine and medical anthropology, a culture-bound syndrome, culture-specific syndrome, or folk illness is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or cu ...
. Ataque de nervios is primarily reported in the
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
and the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. It is described as a constricted consciousness as a psychological response to anxiety and specific stressors.
Common Symptoms
A few symptoms that have been reported are attacks or fits of crying, verbal or physical aggression, uncontrollable shouting, trembling, and the feeling of heat rising throughout the body.
Individuals who consistently experience these episodes can feel it coming. It normally consists of feeling lightheaded, dizzy, unsteady when standing, and changes in vision.
Possible Causes
In most cases, ataques de nervios is directly related to stress and family, such as divorce, death of a loved one, or witnessing/experiencing a traumatic event.
The medical term for fainting, or ataques de nervios, is
syncope, which happens when the brain does not receive enough oxygen and there is a brief decrease of blood flowing to the brain. Situational syncope occurs when situations affect the nervous system, such as anxiety, fear, pain, dehydration, hyperventilation, and the use of alcohol or drugs.
The body falls to the ground when one faints or has a black-out because it makes it easier for oxygen blood to reach the brain.
Possible Treatments
Ataques de nervios has been treated as a panic or anxiety disorder, which consist of
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (suc ...
. This method of treatment helps the individual identify what is triggering their episodes, which gives them an idea of what they need to avoid. In addition, cognitive behavior therapy will provide individuals with coping mechanisms to use while their episode is occurring. If an individual feels like they are about to faint during their episode, the best preventative approach is to lay down with their legs elevated above their head, or to squat down on their heels.
See also
*
Conversion disorder
Conversion disorder (CD), or functional neurologic symptom disorder, is a diagnostic category used in some psychiatric classification systems. It is sometimes applied to patients who present with neurological symptoms, such as numbness, blindness ...
*
Greyout
A greyout is a transient loss of vision characterized by a perceived dimming of light and color, sometimes accompanied by a loss of peripheral vision. It is a precursor to fainting or a blackout and is caused by hypoxia (low brain oxygen level), ...
*
Non-epileptic attack disorder
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are events resembling an epileptic seizure, but without the characteristic electrical discharges associated with epilepsy. PNES fall under the category of disorders known as functional neurological disor ...
References
Culture-bound syndromes
Caribbean culture
Latin America
Syncope (genus)
Cognitive behavioral therapy
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